MOUNT OLIVE, Alabama -- Ronnie Guin of Mount Olive is part of a little-known army devoted to keeping alive the vintage vehicles of World War II.

Guin, 52, has restored three military Jeeps that he keeps in running condition for antique car shows, veterans' parades and other events. His three running Jeeps were used by three different branches of the U.S. military -- one Army, one Navy and one from the Marine Corps.

American Bantam Car Co., Willys-Overland Motors and Ford Motor Co. all manufactured Jeeps for the U.S. Army and the Allies in World War II.

"The Jeep was the first worldwide vehicle," Guin said. "I feel like I'm restoring something that's got history and patriotism behind it."

Guin has been busy getting ready for a national convention of people like himself who restore military vehicles. The national convention of the Military Vehicles Preservation Association will be held June 28-30 at the Von Braun Center Exhibition Hall in Huntsville.

"They keep the history alive," said retired Army Lt. Col. Randy Withrow, director of the Veterans Memorial Museum in Huntsville, which opened on Veterans Day in 2001 and is home to the oldest Jeep and oldest Hummer in the world.

"It's a first-hand, visible reminder of World War II," Withrow said. "When a World War II veteran sees one of those, it brings back all the memories. Everybody has fond memories of the Jeep. That's one of those that went everywhere and did everything."

Guin brings one of his Jeeps to the Veterans Day parade in Birmingham every year. He recently took one to a tribute to veterans during the Rickwood Classic at Rickwood Field. He'll be at a military vehicle display and swap meeting at Dennis Gamble's Truck Accessories, 2816 Mount Olive Road, Friday and Saturday, June 22-23.

Guin, who works as a power system coordinator for Alabama Power Co., spends about $10,000 to $15,000 on parts and countless hours of tedious work to restore each Jeep to its former glory.

He has two rusted carcasses of World War II Jeeps waiting on restoration jobs, although he's not sure he'll ever have time to get them done.

His prize Jeep is one that was formerly owned by World War II veteran L.E. Franklin, 87, of Gardendale.

Franklin served as a petty officer in the Navy on a ship in the South Pacific during the war and never drove a Jeep until after the war ended. He signed up on a list for veterans who were interested in buying military vehicles and was invited to a sale in Conyers, Ga.

"I bought it in 1946 for $440," Franklin said. That was really no bargain, it seemed at the time, since they sold new for $800, and the war-worn Jeep needed a new transmission.

"It only had one forward gear working, and I couldn't get it out of high gear," Franklin recalled. He was able to drive it back to Birmingham on a trip made more memorable because of the breezy canvas-top ride in icy weather.

"It was November; it was freezing cold," Franklin said. "I took it to a one-armed mechanic in Inglenook and he put a new transmission in. He could do a lot with that one arm."

Franklin, a retired firefighter for the Birmingham Fire Department, drove the Jeep from the 1940s into the 1980s, putting two engines in it. "It was running good when I quit using it," he said.

Guin bought the Jeep from Franklin's son-in-law after it had sat in disuse for years. "When he got it finished, he brought it over and let me look at it," Franklin said. "He did a good job on that Jeep."

Guin said his restoration work is partly a tribute to his grandfather, a World War II veteran.

He sees the gratitude on the faces of veterans when he takes the Jeeps to events.

"We always have veterans that come up and talk to us," Guin said. "When one of those guys comes up and thanks me, that makes it all worth it to me."

Withrow said Guin has been an important contributor to the museum and that history buffs appreciate the work he and other restorers do.

Perhaps no one appreciates it more than the veterans, he said.

"We're losing them every day," Withrow said. "World War II is passing from first-hand knowledge to history. We're trying to keep that memory alive."